Would Conscript Best Members of Jewish Collectives to Aid in Coal Mines of Don Basin

Every Jewish collective in the Jewish colonies of Russia would have to assign a number of its best and most able members to be sent to the Don Basin coal mines to aid in the liquidation of the Five Year Plan’s failure on the so-called coal front, according to a demand today by the Comzet, the government department for settling the Jews on the land.

The Comzet publishes an appeal in the press saying that “thirty thousand workers and peasants are being utilized to assist in the Don Basin coal mines. It is therefore the duty of the Jewish peasants who are in collectives to be first in the ranks of those mobilized for the Don Basin.” The Comzet concludes its appeal with a demand that each Jewish collective should conscript several of its best members for services in the Don Basin coal mines.

At the same time the Central Executive Committee of Miners has issued a circular saying that “it is not unlikely that the arrival of a great number of Jews in the Don Basin will cause anti-Semitic attacks by elements inclined to counter-revolution. It is therefore the duty of our professional organizations to prevent such attacks.” The circular also reports that a number of anti-Jewish acts have already taken place among the Russian miners in the Don Basin.

“These acts are repeated quite often, consequently we must conduct a severe and systematic campaign against them by unmasking all anti-Semitic attempts in any shape or form,” the circular concludes.

The Emes, organ of the Moscow Jewish Communists, although campaigning to have more Jewish youth sent into the mines, reports that of late the percentage of Jewish youth leaving the mines is extremely large. They became disappointed after working in the mines for several days, the Emes says. The paper blames for this the local Jewish leaders who, it claims, do not inform the Jewish youth of the difficult labor conditions in the mines when they are sent there from the small towns.